Use this task to practice configuring WebSphere® Application
Server for z/OS®. If you are installing the product for
the first time without migration from an earlier version, it is helpful
to install a practice application serving environment in order to
learn the customization process.
Before you begin
Note the following when you install your practice runtime:
- Be careful when typing and following the instructions in the customization.
- Note the user ID requirements in the generated instructions. If
your user IDs are not configured correctly, the jobs might not run
successfully.
- Keep track of each step so that you do not skip or repeat any
steps.
- Examine each job's output (not only the return code) to confirm
that everything is configured correctly. Sometimes, the return code
indicates no problems but the job output contains errors. For a proper
configuration, you should have no errors in your job output unless
the instructions specifically describe errors in the job output.
About this task
You should install a practice runtime when you install WebSphere Application Server on z/OS for
the first time and want to learn the steps for installing and customizing
it.
Install using either the Profile Management Tool or the zpmt command.
Procedure
- Print a copy of the z/OS customization worksheet: Standalone application servers for Version 7.0 and fill it out using z/OS customization variables: Standalone application servers as a guide.
Note: Make sure that the user ID names, group names, UID/GID
values, and TCP/IP port numbers that you specify are not already being
used on your z/OS system.
- Read the topic in Using the Profile Management Tool (z/OS only).
- Follow the steps in Creating standalone application server cells on z/OS using the Profile Management Tool.
View and follow the generated instructions, which tell you how
to:
- Perform the manual configuration updates in the generated standalone
application server instructions. These steps affect parts of your
system that are usually controlled. These are changes that the systems
programmer responsible for your z/OS system
should review.
- Update your server-specific security definitions.
The next
job (BBOCBRAK) issues the RACF® commands necessary for defining
the users, groups, profiles, and permissions for the WebSphere Application
Server for z/OS runtime servers. Submit the BBOCBRAK job,
or take it to your security administrator for approval. Your security
administrator should issue those commands or submit the supplied jobstreams.
If your installation has a different profile structure, you might
have to modify the RACF commands generated by this
exec to suit your particular needs.
Note: Your installation must
have "list of groups" on for these commands to work because the servers
must be connected to the WebSphere Application Server
for z/OS administrator group.
- Create the configuration file system and WebSphere Application
Server for z/OS home directory for your server. Jobs BBOWCFS
and BBOWHFSA (run at this point) and job BBOWWPFA (see below) run
BPXBATCH shell scripts to define, customize, and load data into the
configuration HFS and manipulate the ownership and permission attributes.
For this reason, you must run these jobs under a user ID with UID=0.
- Create cataloged procedures for the server.
- Set up the runtime (configuration) file system for the new application
server. The BBOWWPFA job might run for some time. The BBOWHFSB job
cleans up the configuration file system and makes sure that all file
ownerships are correct.
- Start the new standalone application server, and run the Install
Verification Test (IVT).
- Troubleshoot any problems you encounter while customizing
your application server.
If you encounter problems while
customizing your application server, review the steps that you have
performed--especially regarding such things as specific user IDs under
which jobs must be run. Check all job output for any error messages
that you might have missed.
Watch out for these common mistakes:
- Navigating the configuration file system with a UID of "0" can
alter files or their ownership and permission attributes, making them
inaccessible to the WebSphere Application Server
for z/OS runtime servers and administrators. To
avoid this problem, use the WebSphere Application Server
for z/OS administrator user ID.
- If you decide to change any of the customized variables after
you submit any of these jobs, do not make manual modifications to
the generated jobstreams or data. Cancel the installation, and start
over by regenerating all the jobstreams and start over from the BBOWHFSA
job.
Results
After you have successfully followed the instructions,
you will have set up a WebSphere Application Server
for z/OS standalone application server.
What to do next
Read the concept articles under Planning for product configuration on z/OS and plan one or more
application serving environments that fit your system environment
and business needs.
You might want to delete the practice application
server that you just set up in order to save space on your system,
to clean up your datasets, or for other reasons. Follow these steps
to delete it from your system:
- Stop the server.
- Unmount and delete the configuration file system.
- Delete the cataloged procedures.
- Remove any TCP/IP port reservations for the practice application
server.
- Delete the RACF user IDs, groups, and profiles that you
have created unless you use the same users and groups for a different WebSphere Application Server for z/OS cell.